Monday, February 10, 2014

Why Do Some St. Louis County Cops Wear Military-Style Camouflage Uniforms?

Ever see St. Louis County cops in camouflage military fatigues on the street and wonder why they're dressed like they're going to Iraq instead of Creve Coeur?

That's the county's Tactical Operations Unit -- the SWAT team -- and Sergeant Matthew Pleviak tells Daily RFT that the camouflage is worn so the SWAT cops can "blend in with the environment."

Blend in with the environment of Creve Coeur?

"If you go to any subdivison, there's grass and trees and bushes," Pleviak explains.

SWAT teams wearing military camouflage is not new. It's been done since at least after the Vietnam War when a few Special Weapons and Tactics teams in police departments around the country began wearing fatigues as opposed to all-black or blue uniforms during raids or standoffs.

What is new -- or at least newer -- is that SWAT teams like the St. Louis County's Tactical Operations Unit are also used during more mundane situations, such as arresting Monsanto protesters for allegedly blocking the driveway of the company's campus.